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10 Reasons to Implement Dynamics 365 Commerce
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Dynamics 365 Implementation is Evolving in Retail and eCommerce Landscape
The world around us is constantly changing. New trends and innovations also give birth to new challenges. This is especially true for the retail and eCommerce industry, especially in today’s time and age. With changing trends, retailers are finding it difficult to cope and are increasingly turning to end-to-end omnichannel solutions.
Some of the new challenges in the retail and eCommerce industry are:
- eCommerce has forced retailers to re-evaluate their business models and look for more sales online
- Increasing demand makes inventory optimization one of the most difficult challenges
- To meet new demands and changing expectations employers need to ensure that their employees receive the right information at the right time
- Easy access to reviews on products has increased customer’s expectations on digital buying
- Retailers also need to adapt to the changing workforce as the young replace the old
- It is very difficult to deliver a perfect omnichannel customer experience
- Data security is a huge problem in the eCommerce industry
With many eCommerce solutions available, no two solutions are the same and no solution can be the perfect fit out-of-the-box for an organization. Microsoft is addressing retail-specific challenges with its Dynamics 365 Retail, now known as Microsoft Dynamics 365 Commerce suite. Dynamic 365 Commerce comes with built-in functionality to engage customers across channels to deliver a seamless, unified shopping experience by connecting digital, in-store, and back-office operations with an omnichannel Microsoft eCommerce platform. With a trusted Microsoft Dynamics 365 implementation partner, you can get the much needed expertise and guidance throughout the process.
Dynamics 365 Commerce Architecture
- Omnichannel – Microsoft is constantly innovating to give you peace of mind that your product will continue to evolve in the future without becoming obsolete. One proof of this is that Dynamics 365 Retail is now Dynamics 365 Commerce offering a more comprehensive omnichannel experience across all your existing and emerging channels in turn creating a much more engaging customer experience. Along with the name change and the increased omnichannel capabilities of the solution, it also introduces eCommerce capabilities to the Dynamics 365 family. This will help retailers to develop their business further online. The rest of the features of the new and improved Dynamics 365 Commerce are built upon the existing Dynamics 365 Retail capabilities. For businesses looking to leverage these advancements, partnering with Dynamics 365 implementation partners can ensure a smooth transition and optimal utilization of the platform. Magento and Shopify, two of Microsoft’s eCommerce competitors, both have features that provide Omni-Channel capabilities.
- Flexibility – Dynamics 365 Retail, known as Dynamics 365 Commerce, has a high degree of flexibility. Users can deploy and operate it as per their needs, in the cloud or on-premise. But the on-premise feature does result in a limitation in its capabilities. The sealed deployment model of Microsoft Dynamics 365 ensures that the users can add any customizations or extensions they need much more easily, without impacting the functions of the core products. The users can also add any functions which they need, across the network at the click of a button. This feature allows retailers to customize their eCommerce solutions for their specific needs. Like Dynamics 365 Commerce Magento is also very flexible but in terms of ease of use, Microsoft comes out on top. Shopify on the other hand has a lot of restrictions on Template and other platform elements. Dynamics 365 implementation partners provide the expertise and support needed throughout the process.
- Efficiency – Implementing Dynamics 365 Commerce is easy. You can deploy it within hours in the cloud and there are even existing templates to set up key aspects of the company. Upgrading the solution is also easier and can be done simultaneously across all seats. This ensures that retailers can do all their tasks efficiently and with the latest functionality. It also ensures that you can scale up easily. Like Dynamics 365 Retail rebranded as Dynamics Commerce, Shopify too is easy to set up but in terms of scalability, it falls short. Magento is much more difficult to set up, but it can easily be scaled up and has many advanced features for enterprise-level companies.
- Value – A cloud solution means less cost for its users and the faster implementation time ensures a faster return on investment. Easy upgrades also allow users to access the latest features, adding even greater value over time. Retailers can get the best at the best price point. Despite adding additional capabilities by building upon the Dynamics 365 Retail Platform, the pricing for Dynamics 365 Commerce is like its predecessor. Its competitor Magento is very expensive and despite it having a lot of advanced functionalities can be difficult to operate without the help of a developer. Shopify while less expensive at the same time does not offer as much functionality as Dynamics 365 Commerce and Magento. To fully leverage the value and capabilities of the solution, partnering with a trusted Dynamics 365 implementation partner is recommended.
- Intelligence – Dynamics 365 Commerce also has the latest data visualization and artificial intelligence tools which helps its users make informed decisions at the right time. These advanced analytical tools help deliver data-driven forecasts and give optimized personal insights to retailers which in turn helps them understand their customers’ preferences and tailor their products to suit their needs. It helps to improve customer experience. Dynamics 365 Implementation partners can further enhance the deployment and customization of these powerful tools. Even when comparing Dynamics 365 Commerce, building upon Dynamics 365 Retail, with other eCommerce Platforms like Magento and Shopify, we can see that in terms of analytical capabilities, Microsoft comes out on top followed by Magento with its Performance observation and business intelligence tools with Shopify taking third place in terms of analytics.
- Security – Cloud deployments allow Microsoft Dynamics 365 Commerce to always be upgraded and fitted with the latest features, this also means that it is always fitted with the latest security upgrades. This ensures that all your corporate data is well protected. You can effectively manage your mobile devices through the cloud and access your data from anywhere all while being protected by the latest, best-in-class security. For most eCommerce and retail platforms data security is one of the greatest concerns. To address this concern Microsoft Dynamics 365 Commerce has in-built Fraud Protection. Dynamics 365 Fraud Protection allows merchants to check all online transactions and with the use of AI, a fraud score is determined through which the merchant can either accept or reject the transaction. This is especially useful in the case of credit transactions. Shopify also offers great end to end security but since Magento depends on outside hosting, the security depends on the hosting partner.
- Integrations – Dynamics 365 Commerce also integrates well with the other Microsoft Dynamics Suite of Products like Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations and Customer Service as well as Microsoft Productivity Tools such as Office 365, Azure and Power BI, all of which add further value to your eCommerce solution. Certain other services that can be integrated into Dynamics 365 Commerce (as Dynamics 365 eCommerce integration options) are Dynamics 365 Fraud Protection, Dynamics 365 Customer Insights, Microsoft Bing for Commerce, etc. Integrations and Data Sharing across Dynamics 365 Business Applications such as Dynamics 365 Sales and Dynamics 365 Marketing are supported through the common shared data service. A fully-featured content management system is also integrated directly into the e-commerce platform. Comparing the integration options of Dynamics 365 Commerce with that of Magento and Shopify we will see that while all three offer a wide variety of integrations, only Microsoft offers easy integration as an option. Both Magento and Shopify offer a variety of integrations but Magento’s integrations are complex and require the help of a developer while Shopify does not allow for much complex functionality.
- Partners – By choosing to implement Microsoft’s eCommerce Solution (formally known as Dynamics 365 Commerce) you can also gain access to and make use of Microsoft’s network of partners and products who give expert advice on how to best leverage your eCommerce solution. Dynamics 365 applications provide capabilities for target business segments. They also take advantage of each other, and other Microsoft services and offerings, to provide solutions that help run customers’ complex businesses. In terms of community, Magento rivals Microsoft while Shopify has a much less developed community. Collaborating with a trusted Microsoft Dynamics 365 implementation partner can provide valuable expertise and guidance throughout the implementation process.
- Ease of Use – Dynamic 365 Retail, now known as Dynamics 365 Commerce is very easy to learn and use due to its very familiar and user-friendly interface. Even complex tasks such as inventory forecasting can be done in Excel and automatically synced with Dynamics 365 Commerce due to the tight integration of all of Microsoft’s products. Unlike Dynamics 365 Commerce, Magento is not easy to use, especially if you wish to make use of its advanced features. Shopify is somewhat easy to use but is not very useful for complex and advanced tasks.
- Innovations – All of Microsoft’s products are highly innovative and retailers can make use of these innovative products such as Power BI, Azure, and more by choosing to implement Dynamics 365 Commerce. These innovations allow retailers to make a thorough analysis of their customers’ preferences and create personalized services and products based on their actual customer needs. Magento too has many innovative features and analytical tools which help to identify and predict customer preferences. Shopify on the other hand falls short in this regard. Dynamics 365 implementation partners can help businesses unlock the full potential of Microsoft's innovations and ensure a successful implementation of Dynamics 365 Commerce.
If you still have questions, we can help
Other than Microsoft Dynamics 365 Commerce we also specialize in othereCommerce Solutions such as:
- Magento – Magento, as an eCommerce Solution is trusted by millions and is very easy to use. Korcomptenz can help with Magento Web Development, ERP Integration, Business Intelligence + Analytics, Custom Themes + Plugins, Upgrades + Migrations, Third-Party System Integration, Support + Maintenance.
- Shopify – Shopify is another eCommerce Solution that helps to create an eCommerce website backed by powerful tools that help you find customers, drive sales, and manage your day-to-day activities. We can help you with our consultation services and ensure that you get the best out of your Shopify solution.
- Salesforce Commerce Cloud – Salesforce Commerce Cloud is a software-as-a-service eCommerce solution designed for retail businesses. It is highly scalable and offers quality features and functionality to provide an optimized eCommerce experience. Korcomptenz can offer you Salesforce consultation, implementation, and support services to help you make the most out of your Salesforce solution.
Korcomptenz is a Microsoft Gold-Certified and Salesforce Registered Partner headquartered in New Jersey with extensive experience improving business outcomes for our customers. We leverage end-to-end solutions involving the ongoing convergence of ERP, Azure Cloud, Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, and IoT. As a specialized Microsoft Dynamics 365 implementation partner, We specialize in the Microsoft Dynamics 365 range of products such as Dynamics 365 Business Central, Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations, and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Commerce. Request a consultation today
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